The present invention relates to a system and method of transmission control integration, and in particular to a method of using transmission control to prevent a vehicle from contacting an object in the vehicle's path of movement.
Operating a motor vehicle can be challenging especially when attempting to back the vehicle into a parking space, for example. To assist drivers with these challenges, a conventional vehicle can include one or more sensors on the front or rear bumper thereof. These sensors, also commonly referred to as parking sensors or proximity sensors, can detect unseen obstacles that may be present in the path of the vehicle. In general, parking sensor systems can use ultrasonic proximity sensors embedded in the front or rear bumper to measure the distance to an approaching object. The sensors measure the time taken for each sound pulse to be reflected back to a receiver.
Depending on the vehicle speed and distance between the sensor and the object, the system will alert the driver by a visual and/or audible signal. The signal can indicate the direction and proximity of the object to the vehicle. In some instances, the system can be deactivated manually or based on the vehicle speed. For instance, if the vehicle is moving in reverse at 25 mph, the system may not be active until the vehicle slows to a speed below 5 mph.
In terms of feedback, one conventional means is through an audible signal. The audible signal can be in the form of a “beep” or tone. The frequency of beeps, for example, can indicate to the driver how close the object is to the vehicle. In one instance, the number of generated audible signals may increase as the vehicle moves closer to the object. In another instance, a continuous tone may be generated when the distance between the vehicle and object falls within a certain threshold.
Another conventional means of feedback is a visual signal. The visual signal can be in the form of one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that illuminate as the vehicle approaches an object. The visual signal may include four LEDs, for example, such that as the vehicle approaches the object an additional LED is illuminated. In another example, each of the LEDs may be a different color such that each color represents a distance between the vehicle and object.
The conventional parking sensors, however, do have shortcomings. First, the detection system requires the driver to be alerted and react based on the generated signal. If a driver fails to react, the vehicle may still crash into the detected object. Second, if the driver is disabled or unable to be alerted by the detection system, then the detection system is unable to assist with parking and/or preventing collisions. Thus, the detection system has limited utility in its current form. Also, the detection system can be an annoyance to those drivers who either do not want assistance from the system or want to override the system. For example, a driver who is backing up to a boat trailer may wish to disable the detection system, but conventional vehicles do not allow drivers to disable the detection system.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved detection system that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and which can be implemented using transmission software.